St. Petersburg - Peterhof

PETERHOF
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Right after visiting the Hermitage museum in the morning, I took a bus to go 20 miles northwest of St. Petersburg to see the summer palace named for the Russian Emporer Peter the Great (Peter I). It is called Peterhof (or Petrodvorets), which had a humble beginning as a small wooden building built in 1710 but to be expanded into a far bigger palace by Peter the Great in 1714.
Elizabeth I, a daughter of Peter the Great, commissioned Bartolomeo Rastrelli (the original architect of the Hermitage) to alter the Peterhof to what we see today. The palace might have challenged the beauty of Versailles (built by Louis XIV in the mid-17th century) but I personally believe the French palace was prettier. However, what Peterhof is more famous for are its fountains, which are playfully extravagant. The entire Peterhof complex is right by the seaside (Baltic Sea) and covers 2,500 acres.
The attached photo shows me at the back of the palace in front of the Great Cascade (Waterfall Staircase) with its Samson Fountain.
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Peterhof

Peterhof (Petrodvorets) (Duration: Approximately 4 Hours)

Begin with a 22-mile drive through the suburbs of St. Petersburg to Peterhof, the former summer home of Peter the Great. Built to rival Versailles, construction spanned two centuries. When it was finished, the massive estate encompassed seven parks and more than 20 smaller palaces and pavilions. The 300-acre park and spectacular fountains were designed by Peter himself. The Grand Cascade includes three waterfalls, an avenue of 64 fountains and 37 gilded statues. Crowning the hill above the fountains is the Grand Palace. See the gala staircase and walk through many of the palace’s lavish rooms and galleries filled with original furniture, chandeliers and paintings.

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